Twilit Phantoms
by Zero-One01
Summary: When the Twilight Realm was sealed, peace should have returned to Hyrule. But monsters still haunt the land, and the cause of the evil is unknown! Mostly based on Twilight Princess, but lots of inspiration is drawn from other Zelda games. AU.
1. Shadows of the Past

Woo-hoo! I'm on a roll! This time, it's a Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess story! Enjoy!...Oh, and of course, none of the canon characters are mine...Just wait 'til I get my hands on that Triforce! (Kidding...maybe.)

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><p><strong>Twilit Phantoms<strong>

Chapter 1: Shadows of the Past

_**SHNK!**_

The sound of the hero's blade sinking into the belly of yet another monster echoed eerily across the lonely span that was Hyrule Field. It had been a few weeks since the Hero of Light had aided both Princess Zelda of Hyrule and Princess Midna of the otherworldly Twilight Realm in freeing both kingdoms from the tyranny of the mad usurper Zant and his master, the evil, immortal thief-king, Ganondorf. He had hoped that, with the corrupting influences of both Twilight magic and Ganondorf gone, the monsters would stop appearing…..But there they were, in exactly the same places he had always found them. This particular group of nasties was a pack of Bokoblins- humanoid goblin-like creatures with either red or blue skin- haunting an area of the Field close to his home of Ordon Village, located just past the Faron Woods. Something was definitely wrong- he could smell it in the wind.

"Stop that," he chided himself in thought, "Stop sniffing the damned air. You're not under that spell anymore. You're a _Hylian_, not a wolf." He'd had to reprimand himself in this way several times by then, as during his previous adventure, he had been cursed into the form of a large gray wolf, something which had actually helped him along the way. However, when the Twilight left the land, so did the effects of the curse; he was a wolf-man no longer. "What the heck is up with all these monsters still lurking about?" he thought to himself, "Maybe the princess will know, or perhaps the Sages might." Whistling for his horse, Epona, he muttered, "Well, guess I should check up on the village and see if everything's okay."

Getting to the village was a relatively simple task; the real challenge lay in getting his finicky steed all the way through the forest without too many distractions. When he finally got there, however, he immediately noticed something quite strange: someone was in his house! As he approached the structure, set about a meter above ground, carved into the trunk of a large tree, he heard someone humming a song that brought to mind vague thoughts of windmills and storms. The voice was a clear one with a sweet tone, definitely female…..and young. "Well, I guess there's _one_ thing these wolf-senses are good for these days," he mused. Deciding to refrain from drawing his blade, he crept up the short ladder leading up to the entrance, and flung the door wide open.

_Swshh!_

He had intensely regretted the last bit when he was immediately greeted by a large cloud of dust, which left him coughing and spluttering.

"What the?" he heard the familiar voice say. He was right, it was his old friend, Ilia. She was a head shorter than he was, but about the same age. She was usually a very kind and gentle person, but everyone who knew her knew better than to incite her wrath. "Whoops," she said embarrassedly as she came over to help dust off her wandering friend. "Sorry about that, Link."

"What….What're you doing in my house?" he asked in between coughs.

"What's it look like?" she replied, "I'm cleaning up! You wouldn't believe how dusty and cluttered everything was just yesterday when I came to check up on it!"

Link just stared at her blankly. Her chiding him was routine by now; as for all the good things he could say about her she did have the tendency to nag, but what bothered him more was the fact that she was in here without his permission. Ever since he started his previous adventure, he had used his home as a bit of a weapons storehouse. There were many dangerous things hidden away inside; bombs, arrows, and even the black crystal that had contained the curse that gave him his lupine alternate form. "It's dangerous here," he said bluntly.

Ilia blinked. She had been friends with Link since they were both small, but she could never seem to get used to his curt demeanor. "If you mean all those weapons you have stored away, don't worry," she said. "In fact, those need to be maintained from time to time, y'know. You can't just stuff bombs or arrows away from weeks on end and just expect them to work!"

"It's always worked for me, actually," Link thought to himself as he self-consciously patted his bomb bag.

As Ilia finished the sweeping, Link began his usual routine of unpacking things he thought were unnecessary for the task at hand. For example, if he was about to venture into the Zoras' Lakebed Temple at the bottom of Lake Hylia, he would usually leave all his normal bombs at home, opting instead for the amphibious Water Bombs. This time wasn't really all that different, though he mainly only had to empty his pockets of some extra Rupees, the crystalline currency of the realm. Rearranging his gear, he noticed something odd on his desk- some sort of black powder."Strange," he thought, "Doesn't seem to be explosive powder…..And there's no way Ilia noticed that stuff, either." In fact, he surmised, he himself hadn't noticed it until after he had finished putting things away. Bending over to get a closer look, he failed to remember that he had recently installed a small shelf over his desk, and slammed his forehead directly into the edge of it. "Augh!" he cried in pain, as out of the corners of his eyes he saw something fall from the shelf onto the pile of black dust: the Wolf Curse Crystal, as he liked to refer to the crystal whose now-dormant magic had previously transformed him. To the great surprise of the two friends, a crimson spark was produced when the crystal struck the dust pile, accompanied with the sound of electrical crackling. In the next instant, the mysterious glyphs on the crystal began to glow once more, signifying it was active. What was even more distressing, however, was the fact that the dust pile had sprung to life. No longer was it simply an idle clump of powder on the desk, but rather now it was a small cloud, fiercely swirling and shaping itself. Eventually, it formed a statuette about the perfect size for use as a large paperweight or a small trophy, though in Link's opinion someone would have to have rather questionable tastes to want to use it for either. It was a rather unsettling figure, a humanoid demon with whips extending from its clenched fists and what seemed to be a chestplate with the image of a pair of eyeballs carved into it. Its body was contorted in a manner reminiscent of both dancing and attack.

"Yeesh, that was creepy," Ilia muttered as she moved to pick it up.

Link was so deep in thought that he failed to realize what she was doing until it was far too late. "Ilia, no!" "What's the matter?" she asked, oblivious to the statue's ominous aura as she held it.

"Hey look, it's got an engraving on the base….Hm, 'Majora,' huh? What kind of name is that?" she laughed derisively. Suddenly, as if angered by her remark, the statue's eyes began to glow with a fierce crimson light. Just as suddenly, the entire statue began to glow and, returning to its dust-cloud form, forcibly entered Ilia's body. "Aaaaagh!" she screamed, then slumped over.

Link's hand immediately flew to his sword, but he froze. He had dealt with cases of possession before, but he felt uneasy about doing so without the aid of the Master Sword, the legendary Blade of Evil's Bane. What if he hurt her permanently with his ordinary sword? What if he hurt her _and_ the evil spirit stayed with in her? What if—"Stop it, _**stop it!**_" he commanded himself mentally. "You won't be of any help if you doubt yourself like that!"

Before he could formulate a plan of action, however, Ilia's slumped form began to quiver, as if there was something about this whole situation that she somehow found incredibly amusing. "Heh heh heh…..ha ha hahahahahaha!" As she laughed, a black aura erupted around her, swallowing her. When it finally receded, she was wearing the exact same armor the figurine was.

"I-Ilia?" Link called, approaching her slowly as he readied his shield instead of his sword.

Slowly, Ilia turned around, though Link could clearly tell she was not herself. Her sclera had turned a hideous orange-yellow, and her irises turned emerald green. Her mouth was stretched into a mad grin, almost literally ear-to-ear, with her own teeth replaced with sharp, jagged fangs. "Heheh, sorry, that name doesn't ring any bells," she said darkly, "But why don't you play with me a bit? She might come out!" At this, with a horrible squelching sound, the twin tentacle-whips burst from her forearms, and she charged.

"Dammit," Link thought. "There's no way I can take her now. I need to get away from here, and I need the Master Sword!"

"What's the matter?" the demon possessing Ilia gloated, "Too _scared_ to hurt your girlfriend? Ha! Some hero _you_ turned out to be!"

Running through the forest while letting "Ilia" chase him, Link made a beeline for the Sacred Grove, the hidden part of the Faron Woods where the Master Sword slept. Hastily grappling across the chasm with his Clawshots, the hero prayed to all the gods and goddesses he knew were part of Hyrule's pantheon to not run into…Him.

As he began to hear the upbeat notes of a horn, Link froze. "Aw _c'mon_!" he groaned. He had made several previous trips to the Grove before, and on every one, he was accosted by the sinister, yet playful imp known simply as the "Skull Kid". The imp always wanted to play, and the game was always a deadly version of hide-and-seek, with the Skull Kid sending out wave after wave of human-sized puppets with razor-sharp claws. Link would always have to strike him three times to "win" and get the imp to leave him alone. Needless to say, it was quite a time-consuming ordeal. However, almost immediately it seemed like his wish had been granted after all, as the tempo and volume of the notes both died down gradually. "Thank the gods," Link sighed. "I don't have time to deal with that guy right now!" As he continued to make his way deeper into the Grove, he checked for signs of his possessed friend. Chances are, if he was lucky, he left her stranded on the other side of the chasm, where she would hopefully wait for him to come back and continue their "game". Much to his annoyance, however, he met yet another distraction ….By running right into her.

_Whap!_

"Ack," Link grunted, assuming some sort of bug flew into his face, and raised his hand to strike it.

"Aiiiiieeeee! No! Don't kill me, please!" came the high-pitched plea.

Either Link was able to talk to insects now, or this was no insect. Peeling the offending….whatever-it-was off of his nose, Link held it in front of his face so he could get a better look. It seemed to be a fairy, only with a blue glow as opposed to the pink one he was used to seeing. "Are you….Are you alright?" he asked. He figured it couldn't hurt to ask. After all, no one was behind him anymore, and he felt guilty about having nearly killed a fairy.

"Y-yes," she said, "I—Hey!"

Link winced. Somehow, something about the way she shouted "Hey" bothered him."Y-yeah, what?" he asked gruffly.

"Hey, listen," she said again, "Is your name…..Are you Link?"

Link blinked. "Uh, yeah, I—"

"Oh _gods_ am I ever glad to see you again!" the fairy screamed as she began to fly around his head in circles. "My, how you've grown! And this time without time-travel, too!"

Link rolled his eyes slightly. "Uh, I don't mean to be rude," he interrupted, "But _time-travel_? I think you have me confused with another Link. I've only jumped through time once, and I sure as heck didn't get taller because of it."

At this, the fairy sounded devastated. "Oh," she muttered. "I, uh, see. Sorry to bother you."

"Nah," he said, "It's fine. Hopefully you find this friend of yours who has the same name as me, huh?"

"He's…..He's dead," said the sprite dejectedly.

"Oh," Link said, making a mental note of the awkwardness of the situation. "Okay then….Well, sorry about that. I'll be—"

"Wait! Don't go!" the fairy said, flying to him again.

"What _now_?" asked Link exasperatedly.

"Look, I'm sorry about your friend, uh…."

"Navi, my name is Navi," the fairy said.

"Okay, look. I'm sorry about your friend, Navi, but I dunno what I can or should do about that. I—"

"No, this isn't about _him_," Navi cut him off. "Someone _else_ I know is still alive, and she's in mortal peril! I was just looking for the Link I knew because I know he could've handled it. But looking at you, there's not that much of a difference, so…."

"So you want me to help your friend?" Link asked. "Yes!" Navi replied urgently. "Alright, I will. Only thing is, I'm already trying to help someone right this minute," he began while continuing on his way to the Master Sword, "But once I get done with that, you have my _word_ that I'll help, alright?"

"B-but she needs help _now_!" Navi whined.

"So does _my_ friend!" Link retorted. "Ugh," he groaned. "Why's it so cold?"

"Oh no!" Navi squeaked.

All around the duo, the forest was dying. Green leaves turned to fall colors, then completely brown. The grass underneath their feet began to dry up and turn yellow. The trunks of trees were twisted and contorted into crazy shapes, some even resembling monsters.

"The forest…..What's happened?" Navi demanded of no one in particular.

Seeing the Master Sword, Link drew it from its pedestal and turned back the way he came. "I dunno, but I'll add finding out to my to-do list. If you wanna tag along, be my guest."

Suddenly, Navi flew in his face again.

"Wouldja stop—"

"Hey, listen! The ground there got weak when the forest dried up just now! If you take another step forward, you'll fall!"

Tapping the ground ahead of him with his toe, Link found her claim to be true when the part he tapped fell away immediately.

"I can see the safest route," Navi said, "But you'll have to trust and follow me!"

"I think I'd rather use this," Link thought, reaching for his Wolf Crystal. Grabbing it, however, he was annoyed to find it had gone dormant yet again.

"Low-level Twilight magic like that doesn't work when you're this close to a Guardian Fairy, silly!" Navi chided, "Now c'mon!" Seeing no other choice, the hero followed the fairy.

Eventually, they had come to a clearing with a single stump. Link recognized the place as the location of his last battle with the Skull Kid. Glancing at the stump, he was shocked to see the seated form of his old "friend". Bracing himself for another "game," he immediately drew both his shield and his blade. However, upon closer inspection, the figure appeared to be just a wooden statue, at least from appearance.

"Let's go, Link," Navi said quietly.

Link couldn't help but worry for the Skull Kid. Though he had largely been a nuisance, Link bore him no ill will and certainly disliked seeing him like this, if that was even him and not some substitute. Once they arrived at the chasm again, Link found more nasty surprises waiting for him. First, a twisted tree had ended up blocking the entirety of the cliff on his side of the chasm, and worse, on one of the branches, there was a shred of what looked and smelled like Ilia's tunic, meaning that unless the tree managed to transplant itself across the chasm, she had been here.

"Ew," Navi groaned, "You actually _smelled_ that? Even if it's only a part of her top, that's—"

"Creepy, yeah, I get it," Link cut her off as he sniffed the air for a scent trail. Finding it, he ran headlong in that direction, only changing his course slightly when Navi warned him of unstable ground.

When they came to what seemed to be a mammoth tree, Navi immediately flew in front of Link. "I was going to say that we would need to help the forest before we could help your friend, but it looks like she's here anyway."

Link simply nodded and unsheathed his sword. He hadn't realized it while he was running, but somehow he had arrived at the very first dungeon he had ever visited: the Forest Temple. Making quick work of any enemies or booby traps that stood in his way, he followed Ilia's scent trail directly to the chamber that had once been home to the gargantuan beast, the Twilit Parasite Diababa, essentially a massively enlarged version of a Deku Baba, or the resident man-eating carnivorous plant monster. Now, however, its only occupants were his friend and….The Ancient Sage of Forest.

The apparition of the Sage was doing something quite un-sagely: writhing in pain, holding his head in his hands.

Though Link wasn't sure whether the Sages were even actually alive or some sort of species of ghost, it clearly sounded like the one in front of him was dying. It didn't help matters much that his friend, in hushed, sibilant tones, was urging him to "give in to the temptation and transform"."Ilia!" Link called.

Startled, she turned around, her eyes and face returning to normal. "L-Link….." she gasped, before her features twisted again. "Wahahaha!" the demon roared with laughter in Ilia's voice, "So _that's_ the name of this body! Now, have you come to finish our little game?"

"As a matter of fact, I have," the hero thought to himself.

The monster faked a yawn, saying "Ugh, why are you always so _terse_? It gets so _boring_!" As "she" said this, she shot many small fireballs at Link, which he deftly blocked with his shield, even swatting one or two away with his blade.

Utilizing the battle to mask her movements, Navi flew next to the Sage. "Hey," she called, "What's happening? Are you alright?" The Sage froze.

"Hsssssssss!" he uttered.

"Aha!" exclaimed "Ilia". "I _knew_ he couldn't keep that up forever!"

"Oh, you've _gotta_ be kidding me," Link thought.

Just then, as if it were some bug crawling out of a shed exoskeleton, a monstrous form burst from the body of the Sage, leaving it a withered husk.

"By the goddesses," Link murmured in utter shock.

Leaping onto the creature's back, "Ilia" began to cackle with glee. "Hahaha! Looks like I win, _hero_! Better luck next time!" she howled.

"Link, hurry!" Navi told him, "That's still the Sage in there! She's just….corrupted him somehow! I think it's Twilight magic, but it's a lot stronger than what I can handle on my own!"

"Well, if you could tell me where and how to strike that thing, that'd be gr—"

"Slingshot bullet or arrow to the eye to stun it, then repeated slashes to the eye until it's dead!" Navi replied shrilly.

"Sounds good to me," grunted Link.

After what felt like an hour of intense fighting, he had finally subdued the monster. It hadn't been easy, given that Ilia, or rather "Majora," as Link assumed the demon was called, had put up almost as much of a fight, attempting to bind and swat Link with her whips whenever he got close. Throwing the whirlwind-inducing Gale Boomerang as a distraction for "Majora," Link dealt the mammoth bug the finishing blow. As it disintegrated in an inferno of magical flame, he made sure to strike at "Majora" as well. Fortunately, it did not move to counter his blow, for either it was too stunned by the force of the final blow, or was simply dumbfounded that its new companion had been so summarily defeated before even being able to leave the chamber. Offering his dear friend a quick, unspoken apology, Link thrust the Master Sword through Ilia's abdomen, impaling both her and the demon in one fell swoop. When the dust cleared, there were two statuettes on the ground; the one that contained Majora, and the other, which was engraved with the name "Parasitic Armored Arachnid: Queen Gohma," containing the giant bug Link had just vanquished. However, much to both his and Navi's confusion, the forest didn't immediately heal itself. In fact, by then it was as if the very air had died. In a sudden rush of inspiration, Link rushed back to the Skull Kid's clearing. It was his hope that, given that it played some sort of guardian role for the Grove, he might have some connection or other to the forest as a whole. He arrived at the clearing just in time to see the Skull Kid, having been revived, remove its mask…..Only to reveal , in a swirl of fallen leaves, the form of a young girl of about twelve or thirteen years of age with green hair and matching clothes.

Seeing this, Link's jaw practically hit the forest floor. "Y-you mean I've been smacking around a _girl_?" he demanded.

"Er, yep," Navi replied. Flying over to the girl, Navi greeted her. "Saria! Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," she noted shakily. "Navi….Did something happen at the Temple? I've got this strange feeling…."

"Yes! Something _terrible_ has happened! The Sage of Forest is dead!"

"Wait, he…_what_?" Saria replied in shock.

"Yeah, and even with the help of Link here, I couldn't help him!"

Saria blinked. "L-Link?" she exclaimed, staring at the Hero of Light.

"Uh, not _our_ Link, unfortunately," Navi muttered.

"Yeah," Saria said wistfully, "I'd wager not." Walking up to him, she stuck out a hand. "Hey! I'm….Well I _used_ to be that Skull Kid who'd always harass you…..Sorry about that. My name's Saria."

As he shook her hand, Link replied, "Please tell me those sadistic games of tag were your way of making sure I was worthy of wielding the Master Sword and entering the Temple of Time."

"Wow, exactly!" she exclaimed, "If _someone_ ddidn't test you, how would you have known whether you were ready?"

"Yeah, I guess. Now c'mon, let's get to the temple!"

As soon as they arrived at the temple, the trio made their way into the chamber where Link had previously battled the demons. Now, however, there was a glowing green glyph in the center of the room.

Almost as if in a trance, Saria walked slowly to it.

"That's a _good_ thing, right?" Link asked Navi.

"Yes! A _very_ good thing, in fact….Watch this!"

As soon as she stepped onto the glyph, which contained the crest of the Forest Sage, a blinding blast of green light erupted around her. Link could feel some strange aura expand in a circular wave, like a blast radius, from where his new friend stood. As it passed through the forest, it healed and corrected whatever it touched. Most notably, the tree that blocked the exit from the Sacred Grove righted itself. When the glow receded a bit, Link opened his eyes to look at Saria again. By now she was surrounded by a visible aura of green light, with even her eyes glowing a solid green. She looked like she had aged a few years, and gotten longer hair. Her tunic and shorts were replaced by garments formed of woven leaves, and her feet, once clad in boots, were bare. As she remained floating there, motionless, she suddenly issued what appeared to be a dire warning:

"He who returned the light to this land shall be the one to cast it back into eternal darkness!"

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><p>Dun dun <strong>DUUUUUN!<strong>

What's up with what Saria said? What the heck is going on in Hyrule? Come back next time to find out!


	2. A New Quest

Chapter 2- A New Quest

"He who returned the light to this land shall be the one to cast it back into eternal darkness!"

As soon as Saria had uttered these words, her aura waned and she floated back down to stand on the floor as she had before. "Ugh," she groaned, "That was weird." Holding her head, she took a few steps forward. Almost humorously, for every step she took, various small plants sprang up in her wake, mostly flowers. Noticing this, she marveled at the sight and ran a few steps forward just to see what would spring up behind her.

While such a sight would normally at least make Link smile, he was much too preoccupied with the possible meaning of the words the girl had spoken while under the apparent influence of her predecessor. "Saria," Link finally said, "What did you mean when you said that the one who returned light to the land…..will be the one to cast it back into darkness..?"

The elfish girl blinked. "Did I say that? I can't remember, to be honest."

"Well, whatever then, if you don't remember," Link grumbled. "I'd better get going; I need to find out what's going on and if it's happening in other areas of Hyrule as well."

"Wait!" Saria cried as Link went to check on Ilia again. "You're gonna take the statues, right?"

"Well, yeah, that was the plan," the hero replied.

"Well, here," she said, forming seven small chests of wood near the spot where she had received her new powers. "The wood in this chamber is sacred. If you carry them in these boxes, the evil magic will be sealed."

"Thanks," Link said, accepting her gift, "But why'd you make seven? That's five more than necessary."

"Just a hunch," the girl responded innocently.

Shrugging and muttering something about how it couldn't hurt, Link put the statues into two of the boxes, then threw them into his bag.

Just then, Ilia began to stir. "Ngh," she groaned.

At this, Link was overjoyed. "Ilia! You're…You're awake!" he exclaimed.

"Ouch," she mumbled groggily, "Keep it down, wouldja? My head's still ringing."

Link just smiled. "You think you can walk?"

"Y-yeah," she muttered, getting to her feet. Noticing a slight bloodstain on the front of her tunic, she gasped. "What the….? Am I….Am I bleeding?"

Without thinking, Link immediately lifted her tunic to check her abdomen for her, an action which earned him a hard slap to the face.

"Link? What is your _problem_?"

"Eheh, sorry," the hero replied sheepishly. "Wait, you mean you don't remember?"

"'Remember'? Remember _what_?" the girl asked Link and Saria explained what had happened, she nearly fainted. "No _wonder_ I don't remember anything after that dust cloud enveloped me," she muttered. "But wait…If Link had to stab me to exorcise the demon, how am I still alive?"

"Well, that's simple," Saria said matter-of-factly. "It's because of the sword!" When her statement got her blank stares, she tried another approach. "Let's put it this way: Ilia, are you an evil person?"

"Of course not!" she shouted indignantly.

"Right," replied Saria. "The legends all say that the Master Sword is the Blade of _Evil's_ Bane. Although it can seriously injure just about anyone if its wielder isn't careful, it can't cause the death of anyone who doesn't deserve it. Your wound probably healed immediately."

Gingerly touching the former site of the wound, Ilia just nodded.

"Now, before you leave," Saria called out to them, "I'm going to teach you a song so you can come back here when you need to."

"A…song?" Link repeated. "I'm sorry, but I don't play any—"

"Link!" Ilia chided, "Of _course_ you play an instrument! Remember that charm I gave you?"

"Ah, right, right. Sorry," said the hero as he fumbled for the small horseshoe-shaped flute Ilia had given him as a gift during his last adventure. He used it frequently to call his horse, as was its main function, but he'd never thought of it as a proper instrument before.

"Well alright then," said Saria, brushing off the sudden awkwardness. Pulling out an ocarina, she began to play the song, a peaceful melody that brought to mind the beauty and serenity of the forest, the Minuet of Forest.

Link was sure he had never heard the song before except as a part of legends saying that it could be played by travelers who had lost their way to entreat the forest spirits for aid; he felt that it was strangely familiar. Lifting his own instrument to his lips, he played the complete song, even before Saria had finished playing it herself.

"Well," she muttered, "That was certainly a surprise."

"Alright, got it," Link said, putting the flute away, "We can go now, right?"

"Hold on!" Saria shouted.

By now, Link was growing impatient. "What _now_?" he asked exasperatedly.

"Here," Saria said, producing an emerald-colored medallion bearing her symbol as Forest Sage. "You might need to call upon my powers along the way. I can't leave this room, but if you need my help, just give that a squeeze," she said. All of a sudden, another medallion, exactly similar to the one she had given them, appeared with a chain necklace hanging around her neck. "_Now_ you can go."

"Finally," muttered Link. "Thanks for all your help."

Upon exiting the room, the two friends found themselves thrust from the temple entirely, the entrance sealed behind them.

"Maybe that song will teleport you to the chamber," Ilia suggested half-jokingly.

Link didn't respond. He was much too busy heading back to Ordon village to grab some supplies from his house.

"Link?" Ilia called, approaching him cautiously as he ransacked his own belongings, trying to grab whatever he could. "Link, could you just wait here for a minute? I want to come with you on this one."

Distracted, he simply said, "Yeah, sure, just hurry up."

Enthusiastically, Ilia left his house.

About five minutes later, Link looked up from the mess he'd made. Silently apologizing to Ilia again, he exited his house and leapt down to where Epona was resting….Only to find Ilia already mounted on her. "What the…? Okay, no. Get off the horse."

"No way," she said defiantly. "Besides, you said I could come."

"When did I—" he began, only to facepalm when he remembered what he'd said. "Hey, that's not fair. You asked me when I wasn't paying attention."

"It doesn't matter, Link," she replied. "I'm sick and tired of having to wait here while you go risking life and limb for who-knows-what. I am accompanying you on this adventure, and that is _final_."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Link muttered, "Ilia, we don't have _time_ for this! Do you even know how to fi—"

He didn't get to finish that sentence because without warning, the girl had leapt off the horse and straight onto its owner, knocking him to the ground. Holding her previously-concealed dagger to his throat in a mock-threatening manner, she simply asked, "Is that good enough? You're not the only one who gained new tools and abilities during your adventure, y'know!" Shocked into silence, Link simply nodded.

By the time he began speaking again, they were a good distance into Hyrule Field. "Alright," he told Ilia, "Since you're coming along, you should know that we're headed to Hyrule Castle first, to see the princess."

At this, his friend's eyes lit up like gemstones. "Really?" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, really," he replied, "Though I'm a little worried about the state of things, based on how things turned out last time. Whatever happens, just follow my lead."

Ilia just nodded. She didn't need to be told twice that it would be very bad if things turned out as they had last time. The last time Hyrule had been in peril, she and the younger children of their village had been kidnapped and taken far into what was then enemy territory, with Ilia herself even losing her memory. From what she had experienced firsthand, the city built around Princess Zelda's castle, called Castle Town, was much worse off for much of his adventure. However, they both took solace in the fact that, with the Mirror of Twilight broken, the link between their world and the mystical Twilight Realm was broken forever, preventing any further contamination by means of Twilight magic.

Eventually, after a rather uneventful trek through the Field, the duo finally arrived at the gates of Castle Town. Entering, they were immediately assailed by the din of many people going about their daily lives, clamoring for the best deals at shops, playing music, and the like.

"Is it always like this?" Ilia asked with hands over her ears.

"Haha, yeah, it actually is," Link chuckled.

Navigating through the throng, they soon arrived at the castle gates.

"Halt!" shouted one of the pair of guards stationed there as they both crossed their polearms, blocking the gate. "Commoners may not enter the castle except by royal invi—"

"Oh, shut _up_," Link said coldly, holding up his left fist so the guards could plainly see the back of his hand, illuminated by the sacred crest of Hyrule: the Triforce. The three golden triangles were said to have been left behind by the goddesses Din, Farore and Nayru in the stories of Hyrule's creation, its three pieces each representing one of the goddesses: the Triforce of Power, representing Din, the Triforce of Wisdom, representing Nayru, and the Triforce of Courage, representing Farore. Those who the goddesses favored were often blessed with the Triforce piece that most befitted them, which manifested in the form of a glowing mark in the shape of the completed Triforce on the back of the person's dominant hand.

Gaping at the mark on Link's hand, the guard immediately ordered the gates open. Ever since he bested Ganondorf and saved the realm all those weeks ago, a decree went out that, should he need access to almost anywhere in the kingdom, his Triforce mark was as good as the word of the princess herself. "I-I'm sorry about that, sir," the guard stuttered. "H-have a nice day!"

Once they were in the castle courtyard, Ilia put a hand on Link's shoulder. "Hey," she began, "Wasn't that a_ little_ harsh? He's just trying to do his job, after all."

"Yeah?" Link replied, his tone betraying a hint of anger, "Well, if he and the others had _done_ their jobs when the Twilight was around, I might not have had to save literally two entire kingdoms." As Ilia remained silent, he continued, "Anyway, I have little patience for these 'guards'. The brave ones had already mostly been wiped out when Hyrule was overrun; most of those remaining are cowards."

Noticing that the atmosphere in the courtyard changed slightly as Link finished his rant, Ilia glanced around, only to find some of the guards looked crestfallen. "Hey," she said, "Look around. They look _up_ to you, Link. Such talk is lowering their morale."

"Morale for _what_?" he asked gruffly as they stepped through the castle's main entrance, "You don't need much 'morale' for guarding."

"Link, _stop it_," Ilia said in a warning tone. "What's gotten into you? Why are you suddenly so bitter?"

Sighing, he replied, "I…I don't know. Guess I let my anger get the best of me."

"Well, don't," came the simple reply.

Nodding, he continued on in silence.

After another half-hour of wandering the expansive castle's halls, Link breathed a sigh of relief when they finally reached the throne room. "Finally," he muttered. "I get lost every time I come here," he said, turning to face Ilia, a wry smile crossing his face, "But you should've seen how it was when _Ganondorf_ was around. Now _that_ was frustrating."

Laughing, the duo walked up to the guards at the door. Raising his fist as he had earlier, Link said, "I need an audience with the princess. Tell her it's urgent."

"Yessir," replied the guard, "While she is notified, you may wait in the throne room."

As the doors opened, Link immediately stepped through.

"Sorry sir," said the guard behind him, "But your lady friend will have to wait here until your audience is over. Your Triforce mark only applies to you, I'm afraid. Everyone else must abide by the old law; audience by invitation only."

"Sorry, Ilia," Link said, "But I really need to talk to her."

At this the girl merely shrugged. "It's fine, I understand. When you're done, I'll be right here."

Nodding and flashing her a grateful smile, he continued into the room.

After what felt like fifteen minutes of waiting, Link began to grow restless. "Where _is_ she?" he thought. "Don't tell me she's been possessed again!" Thoughts of the battle he was once forced to fight against Zelda when she was possessed by Ganondorf flickered through his mind, causing him to shudder. "I hope I _never_ have to fight another possessed person again," he muttered.

Suddenly, the silence was broken by a slight whooshing noise, as if the wind had begun to blow indoors. Looking all around the large chamber to try and find the source of the noise, Link failed to notice someone enter the room and sit on the throne. Finally giving up the search, he looked back at the throne, where, to his great shock, the princess was sitting, a rather amused look on her face. Sheepishly, he mumbled something about imaginary winds and slowly approached.

"Welcome, Link," the princess said warmly, trying her best to stifle a good-natured laugh, "What brings you here? I heard you had something urgent to speak to me about?"

Pretending to air out his hat to ease the awkwardness he felt, Link began, "Well, there's been a problem in the Faron Province. The Sage of Forest was slain, and—"

"Hey!" a shrill voice rang out.

Looking around, Link was surprised to notice Navi fluttering up from the floor.

"Pay more attention before just shaking your hat like that!" she shouted indignantly.

"S-Sorry," he mumbled, "Didja fall asleep in there or something? What're you doing here?"

"Oh," said Princess Zelda, "A fairy, right? We don't get very many of them around here anymore."

Link was sure he'd misheard, but he could've sworn he'd heard a hint of disdain in the princess's comment.

Suddenly, Navi flew directly at Zelda. "Hey! Who are you, impostor?"

"_What_?" Zelda asked flatly, clearly annoyed.

By now, Link was getting suspicious as well.

Before he could ask, however, Navi zipped back to him."Hey, listen!"

"Stop saying that," he growled.

"Wouldja just listen to me? That's not the princess! I've _seen_ the princess, and her eyes aren't re—Eep!" the fairy squaked, interrupted mid-sentence by a thrown kunai.

Looking back at the throne, Link drew his blade and watched as the impostor was enveloped in a burst of smoke.

As the smoke cleared, Link was annoyed to hear the whooshing noise again. Seeing that no one was standing in front of the throne anymore, he surmised that whoever he was dealing with was making that noise somehow.

"Ugh," Navi groaned, "I can't find her! She's going too fast!"

Hearing the sound of a blade cutting through the air, Link spun around and raised his shield just in time to block a dagger strike to his spine, one that would have surely crippled him had it hit.

"N-No way," his assailant gasped in shock.

Utilizing this momentary pause, Link got a good look at her. She was dressed mostly in a blue, skintight bodysuit with several white elements, chiefly a tapestry she wore as something of a vest over her bodysuit, with a strange picture, completely colored red, of a single eye shedding a tear, stitched onto the white base fabric. As for her face, Link could only see the area around the eyes, for she covered the lower half of her face with a white scarf. Behind her long blonde bangs, Link caught a glimpse of the eyes of his attacker, the feature that Navi had been focusing on. Sure enough, they were scarlet red.

Just as these details registered in Link's mind, his opponent had regained her senses and vanished again.

"Dammit," he muttered, "She really _is_ fast!" Honing his senses, Link managed to keep her from striking him, though it was next-to-impossible to strike back. Who was this girl, and why was she fighting him? Where was the princess? These questions ran through Link's frantic mind as he blocked and dodged anything from continued dagger slashes to thrown needles, and even a few strikes with what appeared to be a whip formed of a light metal chain.

After a few minutes of this, the door at the back of the chamber, leading to the princess's private quarters, burst open.

"Enough!" shouted a voice.

Stopping mid-strike, both combatants froze abruptly. The _true_ princess had entered the room, and she looked like she was angry.

Shooting Link a dirty look, the mystery girl quickly gathered her scattered projectiles, nicking him with the pointed ornament that hung at the end of a long braid at the back of her head as she passed him. Bowing briefly to Zelda, she vanished.

"Who _was_ that just now?" asked Link, putting his own weapons away.

"My...My bodyguard," Zelda said exasperatedly as she straightened out some nonexistent wrinkles in her dress.

Link blinked. "Wait, you _have_ a bodyguard? But then, why wasn't she around when you were capt—"

"Because she sent me _on a wild goose chase_," hissed a voice. In the next instant, the swift-footed girl materialized at Zelda's right hand. "Isn't that right, _princess_?" she continued, not bothering to hide the tone of resentment in her voice. "And because of that, you had to rely on some _peasant_, who may I add, you didn't know _at all_, for the salvation of the entire kingdom!" she spat.

"Why is the princess just _letting_ her speak to her like that?" Link wondered.

"Sheik, my friend, I only wanted to protect you—"

"From _what_? Those creatures that invaded the land? _Ganondorf_? I could have—"

"No, you could _not_," Zelda finally said, growing frustrated, "As I have already told you _numerous_ times, Sheik, the Triforce of Wisdom grants me a degree of clairvoyance. If I _hadn't_ sent you away, you would have died. I saw no alternative."

"Excuse me, princess," Link butted in, "But can this wait? I really need to tell you what's been going on."

Once he explained what had happened to both Ilia and the Forest Sage, Zelda nodded, her expression grim. "I _knew_ it," she muttered. "Just now, I was meeting with ministers of the realm about similar matters. Several areas of the kingdom have had similar things happen."

"Like what?" Link asked.

"For one, Death Mountain in the Eldin Province has become extremely volatile, and for another, Lake Hylia in Lanayru has been plagued by contaminated water and strange creatures."

Scratching his head, Link nodded, saying, "Wow, that _does_ sound fairly similar. Maybe _all_ the Sages are under attack?"

Noticing Sheik staring at him, Link glared back at her. "What, is there something on my face?" he asked indignantly.

"I'm not looking at your face, bumpkin," she told him, "In your bag…..Show me those statues."

"There's no way she should know about those!" he thought, once again growing suspicious of the angry girl. "And what if I refuse?" Link asked, "What then?"

Sighing exasperatedly and walking up to him, Sheik neatly unhooked the bag from its strap and upended it, revealing the seven chests that Saria had crafted for use in containing the evil artifacts. Picking up the two that contained the defeated demons, Sheik wasted no time in opening them despite Link's protests.

"Don't worry, I know how to handle these types of things," she said in an annoyed tone. "'Majora' and 'Gohma'? I haven't heard those names in years!"

Zelda simply remained silent as she watched this display with fingers interlaced.

"So, let me get this straight," Sheik said, turning to Link, "You defeated the monsters, and these were left behind?"

"Yeah, what of it?" asked Link credulously.

"Zelda, it looks like you were correct," she said, completely ignoring Link's question.

Turning to Link with an apologetic look, Zelda explained, "What Sheik _means_ to say is that I had earlier surmised that there's something like this for each reported incident, Link."

"Ah," the youth said, "_Now_ I see."

After a few minutes' consideration, Zelda stood. "Sheik, Link, I have a quest for you both," she said.

"_Both_ of us?" Sheik asked in mock surprise, "Why not ask the _Hero of Light_? The peasant-hero?"

By now, Link was actively holding himself back from snarling. Whatever her problem was, she was being extremely rude, both to the princess and to him; had it not been for his restraint, he would've replied in kind.

"Sheik, please," Zelda said. "This is an order: investigate each of the incidents occurring around Hyrule and intervene as necessary. Collect these statues as well."

"Yeah, got it," Sheik said gruffly. "Look, peasant, I've got some preparations to attend to. Make sure you're ready as well, and meet me at the west gate of Castle Town in an hour, understood?"

"Yeah," Link grumbled as she vanished from the to make sure she was truly gone, Link approached the princess again. "What's _her_ problem?" he asked gruffly. "And, with all due respect, why do you let her speak to you like that?"

Closing her eyes and massaging her temples, Zelda replied, "Actually, this is her after she's calmed down a bit. You wouldn't _believe_ how she was just a few days ago when she first returned." Sighing, she continued, "Sorry about the way she spoke to you. You could say she has both an overdeveloped sense of loyalty and the tendency to hold grudges. She was deeply hurt that I sent her on a false quest when Zant and his forces first attacked, telling her that she was to find seven mythical objects that would be the salvation of the kingdom, all just to keep her alive. As she also has a lot of pride in her skills as a warrior, it's hard for her to accept that I honestly thought she would've died had she stayed."

"Okay," Link said, "But it's still kinda weird how she was speaking to you."

"This will also explain why she keeps calling you 'peasant'. To me, Sheik is equal parts childhood friend and adopted sister. As such, she is technically a noble, though her ancestors, the Sheikah tribe, were not of noble blood. As I consider her to be family, I allow her to speak to me however she wishes, though she has never abused that privilege until today."

Nodding, Link said his goodbyes and left the chamber. "Just because she's a noble, huh?" he thought. "Odd how that works when the _princess herself_ is so polite. You'd think that someone of lower rank than her would have to be _more_ polite."

By the time an hour had passed, Link had explained things to Ilia and the duo had made their preparations. When they arrived at the west gate, they found Sheik waiting for them, leaning on the wall.

"Well, it's about time," she began. "Wait," she said, noticing Ilia, "Who's the girl?"

"This is Ilia, my _other_ traveling companion," Link said.

"_One_ peasant is enough. At least _you_ are a competent warrior….I guess….But she's just a child! Does she even _know_ how to fight?"

"I can hold my own," Ilia chimed in.

"You can also speak when spoken to," Sheik snapped at her.

Link suppressed the urge to yell at Sheik for that. Even considering the excuses Zelda had given for Sheik's behavior, this was going too far.

"Look, Sheik," Link began, "I'd trust Ilia with my _life_."

"Ugh, _fine_," the spiteful girl said exasperatedly. "She can come along, but this isn't some kind of day trip. She either pulls her weight, or I'll leave her-_and_ you- behind. Understood?"

"Yeah, got it," Link said, mirroring the way she had replied to Zelda earlier. He had clearly struck a nerve, because in the next instant, her expression ever-so-briefly changed to one of intense regret. In the next instant, however, she was back to her steely façade.

"Well, come on, then!" she urged, exiting the gate.

"Hold on," Link said as he reached the grass of Hyrule Field. Pulling out the horse whistle, he used it to call Epona to their location. When she arrived, he and Ilia immediately mounted her.

"Good thinking," Sheik muttered. Hastily, she added, "Now you'll be able to keep up with me!"

Shaking his head exasperatedly, Link urged Epona forward as the trio headed west to the arid Kakariko Village, located at the base of Death Mountain.

Once they had gotten a fair distance away from Castle Town, Sheik suddenly stopped and drew her dagger. As soon as Link caught up, she pointed the blade directly at him. "Before we go any farther," she growled, "I want to finish what we started in the throne room. I want to see just how tough you _really_ are, peasant."

"Stop calling me that," Link growled in reply.

"Fine," Sheik said, "_If_ you can defeat me, you'll have earned my respect, and I'll accept our partnership. Are those conditions acceptable?"

"And if I lose?" Link asked.

"Well," she said blithely, "The princess will then be informed that, regrettably, you fell into the lava or something in the bowels of Death Mountain. You may be a hero, peasant, but you're not immortal." Darkly, and almost sadly, she added, "Nobody is."

Dismounting Epona, Link drew his weapons. "I get it. Let's just get this over with." To be honest, he himself enjoyed the prospect of a battle- after all, by now he was fed up with her attitude, and she'd promised to stop if he won. He also had something to prove- while he may have had humble beginnings as a cattle rancher back in Ordon Village, he wasn't someone to be taken lightly.

Sheik made the first move, charging forward and thrusting at his midsection. Neatly parrying the blow with his shield, Link struck at her with the flat of his blade, which she in turn deftly dodged.

"Hah," she said almost gloatingly, "The _flat_ of your blade? Don't worry about hurting me, peasant. You'll need to swing that sword at full force just to have a chance of landing a blow!"

That gave Link an idea. Sheik was almost impossibly fast, but he was the stronger one when it came to brute force. Perhaps if he could land just one heavy blow, she would concede defeat?

The fight carried on for several minutes, with each one parrying or dodging the other's strikes as well as the other. Ilia couldn't help but marvel at the sight as she kept Epona out of harm's way. She knew her way around a dagger, but Link and Sheik were on another level entirely. She wouldn't last very long in a fight with either one.

All of a sudden, the two warriors clashed blades.

"Ngh," Sheik groaned quietly. She didn't want to admit it, but Link's heavier strikes were beginning to take a toll on her. This "peasant" was one of the most challenging opponents she had ever had. He was certainly skilled, for she could not land even one blow, when she had been attempting to murder him the entire time. "Why….Why am I trying to kill him?" she thought, returning to her senses. "Gods….I've become so angry at Zelda that I let it cloud my judgment _this_ badly? I'm a disgrace to the entire Sheikah tribe…!"

Sensing his opponent's resolve begin to weaken, Link swung down with a savage blow.

_**CLANGG!**_

"Gah!" Sheik cried painfully. Forced to block the swift and powerful attack, she had nearly broken her wrist. It didn't stop there, however, as Link continued to press down on her and her blade, causing almost excruciating pain in her hand and arm. Eventually, he forced her down on one knee. "Enough," she said, defeated, "You…..Win."

As Link sheathed his blade, she simply dropped hers, allowing it to land in front of her, plunging its blade into the earth. Massaging her hand, she took a moment to glance at him, and was surprised to see his outstretched hand, waiting to help her to her feet. Retrieving her dagger, she allowed him to help her up. "I'm…I'm sorry for the way I've been acting. I guess I just—"

"Don't worry about it," Link said, interrupting, "A warrior's pride is important. I may not seem like the type, but even I sometimes struggle with mine. I get it."

"Well, that's certainly reassuring," Sheik said sheepishly. Sighing, she returned to massaging her hand. Turning her back to him, she said quietly, "Maybe Zelda was right about _you_, too. You're the first warrior to ever get the better of me…..Remember that, _partner_." Saying these words, she vanished.

Ilia looked around, expecting to see her somewhere nearby. "Wh-Where'd she go?" she asked to no one in particular.

Getting back onto Epona, Link told her, "She probably just needs some time alone. She'll probably be waiting for us at Kakariko, anyway." At this, he urged the horse forward.

Just then, in an infernal column of lava and flame, Death Mountain erupted.

* * *

><p>Whoa! I wonder what'll happen next! Well, tune in next time to find out!<p> 


	3. Complications

Chapter 3: Complications

Once they saw Death Mountain erupt as it had, Link simultaneously went on autopilot and into overdrive. The next few minutes as he rushed towards the site of Kakariko Village, everything, from dodging flaming boulders to hearing Ilia's screams, became nothing but a blur to him. The only thing on his mind at the time was worry for both the village and Shiek. He'd figured she'd gone ahead of them to the village. Was she alright? By now, the place was surely a disaster area.

Galloping into the village, Link hastily dismounted Epona by the Spring of Eldin, the sleeping place of the hawk-like Light Spirit who protected the province Kakariko was situated in.

"Ilia, stay here with Epona. It's just like the spring back home in Ordon; the water here has healing properties, and there are fairies in the area, so I'll probably be bringing people into the spring so they can be healed. You'll be in charge of that."

"D'you think _she'll_be among them?" the girl asked, obvious concern in her voice.

"Dunno. Hope not," came the curt reply.

Dashing into the village, Link immediately managed to drag a few random citizens out of the rubble and back to the spring. Eventually, it came time to check the local bomb shop for its owner, the cowardly Barnes. A blading, middle-aged man, Barnes lived in his shop atop a cliff overlooking the village proper, making saving him even more of a dangerous task. Just as Link was about to open the door to the place, however, he was forced to hastily retract his hand as it flew open from a powerful kick.

"C'mon, old man, wake up!" growled a familiar voice. It was Shiek!

"Sh-Shiek?" Link asked, forgetting to hide the tone of surprise in his voice.

"Don't just stand there gaping at me! Help me out! The old man fainted, and he's really heavy!"

Once the two had carried Barnes a safe distance away, a stray fireball crashed into the shop's lobby, igniting its contents.

_**BOOOOM!**_

"Kuh...!" Shiek grunted, closing one eye in a wince. "Why he runs a bomb shop out of a village next to an active volcano, I will probably never know," she muttered in an annoyed tone, "Though I probably wouldn't want to, anyway, would I?"

Link shrugged. "I dunno, he seems like a good enough guy to me."

"Fair enough. Did you get the other civilians to safety?"

"Of course!" Link replied, puffing out his chest slightly.

"Good, good. I would've expected nothing less of someone I call my partner."

Once they had carried the unconscious man back to the Spring, Shiek barely had any time to dust herself off by the time Ilia practically tackled her in a hug.

"Shiek!" the younger girl cried, "I'm glad you're okay!"

Tensing up for a second from the shock, Shiek merely glanced at Link awkwardly. When the hero replied by making a hugging motion, she rolled her eyes slightly and complied. She wasn't much for emotional displays, but perhaps people were more open in Ordon? They must be, for she could feel dampness on her clothes where Ilia's eyes were, an obvious indicator of tears. Shiek herself would sooner die than let others see her cry, but she decided not to judge the girl. After all, they were friends now, and both she and Link seemed to have been greatly- though needlessly- worried about her. Zelda had done similar several times, anyway.

"Um, okay," the older girl finally said awkwardly, "Maybe we should, uh, get back to the task at hand?"

"Huh? Oh! S-Sorry about that!" Ilia said sheepishly as she released her friend.

"Alright," Link said, hoping to break up the tension, "What do you think is causing all this?"

"Probably some kind of monster," offered Shiek, "After all, isn't that what happened in the forest?"

"Your masked friend is quite correct," replied a man's voice. Turning around, the trio found Renado, the wise shaman of Kakariko. "Lately, I have sensed much evil from the bowels of the mountain. Our Goron friends have since returned home to protect their home and see if they can stem the tide of evil that has invaded their mountain home.

"Well, they should be okay, right?" asked Ilia, "I mean, they're both really strong and fireproof and everything!"

"Yeah," Shiek muttered, "But they're not too bright, if you ask me. Many of the ones I've met were really simple-minded." Upon receiving a reproachful look from Link, she took on a defensive tone. "What, did I say something that wasn't true?"

Sighing, the hero shook his head. "Well, if our target's in the bowels of the mountain, we'd better climb up."

Shiek put a hand to her chin in thought. "There isn't any other way to get in? Hm. How incredibly annoying."

"Well, there _are _many other ways," offered Link, "Like we could blast open one of the sides, for example. Only problem is, what if we release a wave of lava and fry ourselves to death?"

"I see your point," the masked girl muttered. As the trio approached the incline that led up to the mountainside, however, Shiek froze. "Wait...Is it very hot up there?" she asked Link.

"Yeah, sometimes. I've never really noticed because of my..." he trailed off when he realized what she was getting at.

"Your what?"

"...Boots. I wear boots," he said, looking at the perpetually-barefoot Ilia, who already looked like she was thinking about something.

The awkward silence was broken when the girl spoke up. "Um, guys?" she asked.

"Yeah?" replied Shiek.

"Well...Maybe I should stay down here. From what you two are saying, it's really dangerous and hot in there. I don't do well with extreme heat. Anything hotter than your average summer day and I have to spend the entire day by the water, cooling off. Besides, I know for sure I can help try to fix things around the village, as well as helping to heal people."

"Wow," Sheik said, "Good thinking. Glad you thought of that before I asked you to stay; otherwise I might've just said something stupid." When the other two fixed her with bewildered looks, she held up a hand and explained herself. "I'm still new to this whole 'friendship' thing, other than with regard to Zelda, who's technically my sister, anyway. I can order troops around, but even that's not exactly my style. I _am _trying to learn, though."

"Alright, then," Link said, adjusting the leather belt he wore across his chest, the one which had the Master Sword strapped to it. "Now that that's been settled, let's get moving."

About halfway up the mammoth volcano's slope, the two heroes were already struggling from the intense heat. The smoke stung their eyes, and by then, they were even beginning to feel the effects of fatigue set in.

"At this rate," Shiek muttered, "We'll both suffer heatstroke!"

"I'm just glad Ilia stayed behind," muttered Link in reply. "If _we're_struggling like this, imagine what would've happened to her!"

"I'd rather _not_, thanks," came the snippy reply. "Seriously, though, we have to get out of this heat, or at least find a way to counteract it somehow!"

All of a sudden, the duo was greeted by what seemed to be a good-sized boulder rolling out of the adjacent lava flow apparently of its own volition. Thankfully, what seemed to be a bizarre phenomenon revealed itself to be nothing more than a Goron, and one that knew Link, at that.

"Brother!" shouted the gentle giant, overjoyed to see his friend again. In fact, the Goron was_ so o_verjoyed that, forgetting he was still covered in burning lava, he tried to tackle Link in a bear hug.

Fortunately, Shiek quickly appeared between the two, surprising the Goron and causing him to halt. "You...You _do_ realize you'd probably burn him to death if you hugged him _now_, don't you?"

The rock-creature simply stared at her blankly. "Goro?" he muttered.

At a loss for words, Shiek merely facepalmed.

Suddenly, the Goron's attention turned to their condition. "Wait a second, Brother! Are you okay? You and your friend don't look to good!"

"We're fine, thanks," muttered Link, "Just hot, that's all."

"Only hot? Are you sure, Brother? It looks like the both of you are melting!"

"Certainly feels that way," Shiek muttered under her breath.

"I know!" cried the Goron. "Here, put these on! I managed to grab these from the shop as I escaped!" he shouted, producing two red garments that seemed to be made of some sort of reptilian skin, something that looked a lot like crocodile skin. "I was hoping to roll- er, _run_ into you! I knew you'd come help us again!"

Shrugging and complying with the Goron's order, Link and Shiek felt immediate relief.

"Ahhhh," Shiek sighed, "Much better!"

"Wow," Link said, marvelling at the garment, "What's it made out of?"

"Dodongo skins! We pound those critters' skulls in, then skin 'em!" cheered the Goron. "They're fireproof, and now, so are you!"

"Thanks," Shiek said, producing a whip-like cord and trying it around her waist to fasten the tunic, which on her slender frame was a loose fit.

"Thanks," Link said, "And what about the other Gorons? Are they alright, too?"

At this, the Goron broke out in tears, prompting even the stoic Shiek to pity him. "No they are not, Brother!" he wailed. "I'm the only one who escaped when our home was-"

He didn't get to finish his explanation, however, as at that moment, a gargantuan clawed hand erupted from the nearby lava flow and seized the poor creature, dragging him into the bowels of the mountain.

"Brotherrrrrr!"

Without thinking, Link immediately dashed towards the lava, desperate to save his hulking friend, only to be stopped by Shiek, who intercepted him and attempted to push him back with little success.

"Link, no! It's too late!"

"Lemme go! I can still catch it!"

"Use your head! Just because we can withstand high temperatures now doesn't mean you can just jump into lava!"

"I'll never know unless I try!" the hot-headed hero replied as he blindly pushed Shiek toward the lava.

"Nngh...Link...! Snap out of it!" she managed. As she had discovered during their earlier battle, he was much stronger in terms of brute strength- she wouldn't be able to hold him for long. Eventually, her worst fear was realized when her right foot ended up plunging into the shallows of the lava flow.

HSSSSS!

"Augh!" Shiek screamed in pain.

Hearing her anguished cry, Link immediately snapped back to his senses. "Sh-Shiek...?" he muttered quietly, lessening the amount of force he was exerting on her, which allowed her to shove him back onto the shore.

Once they were back on solid ground, Shiek immediately sat down to examine her foot and lower leg. After what must've been minutes of silence, she simply muttered, "Looks like there's more to these tunics besides just being fireproof. I'd like to speak with whoever cast this protective spell on them...It really is quite impressive."

"Shiek, I-"

"Don't apologize. It's just like when we first battled out in the Field, only our roles were switched. This time, you were the hot-headed, stubborn idiot, while I was the sensible one...And, might I add, the winner," she finished, her briefly-sparkling eyes and wry tone giving the impression that she was smiling.

"Heh, guess that makes us even, huh?" Link asked.

"Yes, it does. Now let's get into the mountain. We might still be able to save him if we hurry- him and everyone else."

As the heroes dashed off, a pair of glowing green reptilian eyes that were watching them from the lava narrowed angrily. The mysterious monster, from its hiding place, had hoped to corrupt the Hero of Light with its magic, but it had failed. Snarling slightly, it retreated into the boiling depths of the lava lake, lying in wait until it would meet the duo again.

* * *

><p>Whoa, what's with the creature in the lava? What is it? And what's happening to Death Mountain? Come back next time to find out!<p> 


End file.
